The counts of Nantes were originally the Frankish rulers of the Nantais under the

Carolingians The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippi ...

and eventually a capital city of the

Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany ( br, Dugelezh Breizh, ; french: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean t ...

. Their county served as a

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...

against the

Bretons The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, m ...

of the Vannetais. Carolingian rulers would sometimes attack Brittany through the region of the Vannetais, making Nantes a strategic asset. In the mid-ninth century, the county finally fell to the Bretons and the title became a subsidiary title of the Breton rulers. The control of the title by the Breton dukes figured prominently in the history of the duchy. The County of Nantes was given to Hoel, a disinherited son of a duke. He lost the countship due to a popular uprising. That uprising presented an opportunity for King

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

to attack the Breton duke. In the treaty ending their conflicts, the Breton duke awarded the county to Henry II.

Frankish counts

*---- – 778

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

, as

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

of the

Breton March The Marches of Neustria (french: Marches de Neustrie; br, Marz Neustria; Norman: ''Maurches de Neûtrie'') were two marches created in 861 by the Carolingian king of West Francia Charles the Bald. They were ruled by officials appointed by the Mo ...

- subject of the ''Chanson de Roland'' *786 – 818 Guy, as

of the

, successor to Roland *818 – 831 Lambert I - exiled by Louis the Pious and replaced by Ricwin. *831 – 841 Ricwin -a ''comes'' of Charlemange, and ''fidelis'' of

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...

, he opposed

Nominoe Nominoe or Nomenoe (french: Nominoë; br, Nevenoe; c. 800, 7 March 851) was the first Duke of Brittany from 846 to his death. He is the Breton '' pater patriae'' and to Breton nationalists he is known as ' ("father of the country") ...

in the founding of Redon Abbey *841 – 843

Renaud Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan (), known as Renaud (), born 11 May 1952, is a French singer, songwriter and actor. His characteristically 'broken' voice makes for a very distinctive vocal style. Several of his songs are popular classics in F ...

*843 – 846 Lambert II *846 – 849

Amaury Amaury (from the Old French ''Amalric'') or Amauri may refer to: People Surname *Philippe Amaury (1940–2006), French publishing tycoon Given name * Amaury Duval (1760–1838), French writer *Amaury Duval (1808–1885), French painter *Amaury ...

, imposed by

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a s ...

in opposition to Lambert II *849 – 851 Lambert II (restored) *852 – 860 Salomon *861 – 866

Robert the Strong Robert the Strong (french: Robert le Fort; c. 830 – 866) was the father of two kings of West Francia: Odo (or Eudes) and Robert I of France. His family is named after him and called the Robertians. In 853, he was named ''missus dominicus'' ...

, also

Count of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertia ...

*866 – --- Hugh of the Breton March *--- – --- Henry of the Breton March *--- – ---

Odo Odo or ODO may refer to: People * Odo, a given name; includes a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Franklin Odo (born 1939), Japanese-American historian * Seikichi Odo (1927–2002), Japanese karateka * Yuya Odo (born 1990 ...

, the future Odo, King of West Francia, as the Marquis of Neustria *886 – 896 Berengar II of Neustria as Margrave of the Breton March, later also Count of Rennes *896 – 911 *911 – ---

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, h ...

, the future Robert I of France as the Marquis of Neustria

Kingdom of Brittany

Alan I, King of Brittany Alan I (french: Alain; died 907), called the Great,F. McNair (2015), "Vikings and Bretons? The Language of Factional Politics in Late Carolingian Brittany", ''Viking and Medieval Scandinavia'' 11: 183–202. was the Count of Vannes and Duke of Bri ...

ruled Nantes as King of Brittany until his death in 907.

Norse occupation from 914 to 938

*907 - c 914 - vacant

Rognvaldr also known as Ragenold

*914 - 919 - Rognvaldr as a leader of the Loire Raiding Fleet lands in Nantes; King Gourmaelon killed in battle, King Robert of Neustria continues conflict with invading Norse. * 919 - Robert cedes Nantes to Rognvaldr who renames it Namsborg, makes peace and agrees to convert to Christianity for being allowed to keep Brittany. * 924 - Rognvaldr ravages the lands between the Seine and the Loire and then Burgundy but is finally defeated at Chalmont. * 927 - The Franks launch another failed attempt to retake Nantes. * 930 - Rognvaldr reigns until his death.

Hakom Rognvaldrsson also known as Incon

* 930 - Hakon Rognvaldrsson, known to the Franks as Incon, Norse leader after the death of Rognvaldr, King Rudolph of the Franks defeats Incon at Estress that same year. * 931 - Breton peasant revolt broken and their leader Felecan killed. * 935 - Incon isolated after William 1 Longsword of Normandy reconciles with the Franks and exiled Bretons start returning from Britain. * 936 - 938 - Alan Barbetorte returns to Brittany from England and engages the Norse, Incon slain at recapture of Nantes in 937.

Later counts

*938 – 952 Alan I ''Barbetorte'', grandson of

, also Duke of Brittany *952 – 960 Drogo, his son *960 – 981 Hoël I, Alan Barbetorte's eldest illegitimate son *981 – c.988

Guerech Guerech of Brittany, was Count of Nantes and Duke of Brittany from 981 to 988. Life Guerech was the second illegitimate son of Alan II and Judith. He succeeded his brother Hoël I upon his death. Guerech had been brought up at the Abbey o ...

, Hoël's brother *990 – 992 Conan I, Count of Nantes by conquest *992 – 1004 Judicaël; Hoël's illegitimate son *1004 – 1038 : Budic, Judicael's son *1038 – 1051 : Matthew I, Burdic's son *1051 – 1063 : Judith, Matthew's aunt and Budic's sister, (with her husband Alain Canhiart) *1054 – 1084 : Hoël II, their son, married to Hawise, Duchess of Brittany *1084 – 1103 : Matthew II, Hoël and Hawise's second son *1103 – 1119 Alan II, Matthew's elder brother, also Duke of Brittany *1119 – 1148

Conan II Conan may refer to: People * Saint Conan (died 684), bishop of the Isle of Man * Conan of Cornwall (c. 930 – c. 950), bishop of Cornwall * Conan I of Rennes (died 992), duke of Brythonic Brittany * Conan II, Duke of Brittany (died 1066), duk ...

, Alan's son *1148– 1156 Hoël III, Conan's son *1156 – 1158 Geoffrey I FitzEmpress, younger brother of Henry II of England *1158

Conan III Conan III, also known as Conan of Cornouaille and Conan the Fat ( br, Konan III a Vreizh, and ; c. 1093–1096 – September 17, 1148) was duke of Brittany, from 1112 to his death. He was the son of Alan IV, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde of An ...

, Hoël III's nephew, seized the County and Nantes before returning it to Henry of England *1158 – 1185

, gained the county under his treaty with the Duke of Brittany *1185 – 1186 Geoffrey II, Henry II's fourth son, married to Conan's daughter Constance *1185 – 1201 Constance,Judith Everard et Michael Jones, ''The Charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany and Her Family (1171-1221)'', p 38 Conan's daughter and heiress, married to Henry II's son Geoffrey *1196 – 1203

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more w ...

, their son The County of Nantes was merged permanently into the Ducal crown of Brittany, and subsequently the crown of France, through Constance's descendants.

Notes

References

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Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabit ...